Shuford Away
At A Glance
UNC Burch in Thailand (Public Health Entrepreneurship)
- Program Leader: Dane Emmerling
- Program Contact: Holland Page
- Program Partner: Honors Carolina
- Dates: TBD for 2027
- Prerequisites: None
- Eligibility: Open to all UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduates (second-year status or greater) with a 3.0 GPA.
- Application Due Date: January 15th, 2027
Program Overview
The Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship partners with Honors Carolina for an immersive entrepreneurship experience in Thailand. Students live and work in iconic cities throughout Thailand while completing the track course requirement of the Entrepreneurship minor. Through their coursework and additional programming, students will meet entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, product leaders, thought leaders, design thinkers, and industry leaders, visiting companies and venues at the heart of Thailand’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. Students complete SPHG 429H, an approved track course.
The innovative and sustainable nature of entrepreneurial pursuit can benefit public health initiatives, especially when entrepreneurship identifies economically self-sustaining solutions to public health challenges. This program introduces students to basic concepts and case studies of commercial and social entrepreneurship as applied to the pursuit of public health and sustainable food systems through both for-profit and non-profit entities. Students earn 3 credit hours through 1 required course and complete field work; they remain enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill with a summer term’s work going toward general education and major or minor requirements. Field work provides valuable educational experiences in a cross-cultural context.
Field work placements combined with academic coursework allow students to appreciate connections between theory and practice and gain exposure to potential career choices. Students will form teams and be connected with organizations currently involved in mentoring and incubating social enterprises. Students will work with these “coach” organizations and a grassroots enterprise to support this work through identifying new opportunities and approaches in addressing a food system-related or public health problem.
Program Components
Professor: Alice Ammerman
Prerequisites & Permissions: None
Grading Status: Letter Grade
This course introduces students to basic concepts and case studies of commercial and social entrepreneurship as applied to the pursuit of public health through both for-profit and nonprofit entities. Students learn about the unique food systems-related public health challenges in both urban and rural Thailand, and the basics of social entrepreneurship and community-engaged service learning. This course features many guest speakers with successful experience in public health entrepreneurship in diverse arenas, as well as those who have experienced challenges or venture failures. Students work in groups with community partners to gain a deeper understanding of what is behind food systems challenges. They design innovative entrepreneurial solutions, rapidly refining their ideas throughout the course and pitching them to experienced entrepreneurs and practitioners for feedback.
SPHG 429H fulfills the FC-GLOBAL OR FC-VALUES (IDEAs in Action) general education requirement.
Students work in groups with community partners to gain a deeper understanding of what is behind food systems challenges. Students will work with these “coach” organizations and a grassroots enterprise to support this work through identifying new opportunities and approaches in addressing a food system-related or public health problem. They design innovative entrepreneurial solutions, rapidly refining their ideas throughout the course and pitching them to experienced entrepreneurs and practitioners for feedback.
Program Costs
Billable Costs or Cashier-Billed Expenses are applied to your UNC Student Account. Tuition and program fees are not paid to the host institution.
- Study Abroad Admin Fee
- Tuition & Fees (Academic Costs)
- Program Costs (Logistical Costs)
- BCBS Global Solutions Insurance
- ISOS Risk Management Support
Non Billable Costs or Out-of Pocket Estimates are estimated educational and living expenses while studying abroad and may vary based on your spending habits.
- Application Fee
- Airfare
- Passport
- Books
- Meals
- Personal Expenses
For the most current cost estimate, please see the Study Abroad Program Brochure here.